Unconfined Compression Test 1

1.0 OBJECTIVE:
To determine the shear strength of the cohesive soil.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this experiment, students are able to:

 Describe the deflection of the jet generates forces on the vane.

 Identify the relationship between force and rate of momentum flow in the jet.
 Measure the force generated by a jet of water striking a plate.

3.0 THEORY

The unconfined compressive strength, qu is defined as the maximum unit axial

compressive stress at failure or at 20% strain, whichever occurs first.

The unconfined compression test is very popular and used worldwide. It is

simple test where atmospheric pressure surrounds the soil sample. The test is also
called an unconsolidated-undrained (U or UU) test.

The unconfined compression test is a form of triaxial test in which the major
principal stress (σ1) is equal to the applied axial stress and the minor principal stresses
(σ3) is equal to zero.

At failure, the relationship between the two principal stresses is given by:
 Unconfined Compression Test 2

Where,

As σ3 = 0 for an unconfined compression test,

For clayed soil, Ø = 0°

σ1 = 2c

The vertical stress s1 at failure is known as the unconfined compressive strength (qu)

Hence, qu = 2c

qu is obtained by dividing the normal load at failure by the corrected area as given by:

Where,

The axial load may be applied to the specimen either by the controlled strain
procedure, in which the stress is applied to produce a pre-determined rate of strain, or
by the controlled stress procedure, in which the stress is applied in pre-determined
increments of load. IS: 2720 (Part 10) -1973 recommend use of controlled strain test.
 Unconfined Compression Test 3

4.0 TEST EQUIPMENTS

1. Compression device of any suitable type (loading frame of capacity 2t, with
constant rate of movement).

2. Sample extractor

3. Split mould 3.5 cm diameter and 7 cm long.

4. Frictionless end plates of 7.5 cm diameter (Perspex plate with silicon grease
coating)

5. Oven

6. Balance Sensitive to weigh 0.01 g.

7. Containers for moisture content determination.

8. Proving ring of 0.01 kg sensitivity for soft soils and 0.05 kg for stiff soils.

9. Dial gauge (sensitivity 0.01 mm)

10. Vernier calipers

11. Soil sample = Wet clayed soil

 Unconfined Compression Test 4

5.0 PREPARATION OF SAMPLE

1. The split mould is oiled lightly from inside.

2. Remoulded soil sample is prepared by compacting the soil at desired water

content and dry density in the split mould.

3. Split mould is opened carefully and sample is taken out.

4. Place this soil sample in an air-tight container for 24 hrs.

5. Minimum three soil samples should be prepared for test.

6.0 PROCEDURES

1. Measure the initial length and diameter of the soil specimen.

2. Place the specimen on the base plate of the load frame (sandwiched between
the end plates)

3. Place a hardened steel ball on the bearing plate. Adjust the centerline of
specimen such that the proving ring and the steel ball are in the same line.

4. Fix dial gauge to measure vertical compression of the specimen.

5. Adjust gear position on the load frame to give suitable vertical displacement.

6. Set the reading of proving ring and dial gauge to zero.

7. Start applying the load and record the readings of the proving ring dial and
strain dial for every 5 mm compression.

8. Continue loading till failure occurs or 20% vertical deformation is reached.

9. Sketch the failure pattern; measure the angle between the cracks and the
horizontal if possible.
 Unconfined Compression Test 5

7.0 EXPERIMENTAL DATA

Sample 1
Length : 7.6 cm
Diameter : 3.8 cm
Mass : 189 g
Area : 11.34 cm2

Sample 2
Length : 7.5 cm
Diameter : 3.8 cm
Mass : 186 g
Area : 11.34 cm2
 Unconfined Compression Test 6

8.0 COMPUTATION AND RESULTS

Sample Elapsed Strain Axial Corrected Proving Axial Compressive

number time ‘t’ dial strain (ԑ) area Ac = ring load P stress
(minutes) reading L/L0 (A0 /1-ԑ) readings (kg) σ = P/Ac
(∆L) ×100 (cm2 ) (div.) (kg/cm2 )
(mm) (%)
1 50 0.1 0.132 13.07 2 0.004 0.0003
100 0.2 0.263 15.39 4.4 0.009 0.0006
150 0.3 0.395 18.74 9 0.018 0.0010
200 0.4 0.526 23.92 13 0.026 0.0011
250 0.5 0.658 33.16 19 0.038 0.0011
300 0.6 0.789 53.74 20 0.040 0.0007
350 0.7 0.921 143.54 21 0.042 0.0003
400 0.8 1.053 -213.96 22 0.044 -0.0002
450 0.9 1.184 -61.63 22.6 0.045 -0.0007
500 1.0 1.316 -35.89 22.9 0.046 -0.0013
550 1.1 1.447 -25.37 23.7 0.047 -0.0019
600 1.2 1.579 -19.59 23.8 0.048 -0.0025
650 1.3 1.711 -15.95 23.9 0.048 -0.0030
700 1.4 1.842 -13.47 25 0.050 -0.0037
750 1.5 1.974 -11.64 26 0.052 -0.0045
800 1.6 2.105 -10.26 32 0.064 -0.0062
850 1.7 2.237 -9.17 38 0.076 -0.0083
900 1.8 2.368 -8.29 42 0.084 -0.0101
950 1.9 2.500 -7.56 45 0.090 -0.0119
1000 2.0 2.632 -6.95 53 0.106 -0.0153
1050 2.1 2.763 -6.43 57 0.114 -0.0177
1100 2.2 2.895 -5.98 62 0.124 -0.0207
1150 2.3 3.026 -5.60 67 0.134 -0.0239
1200 2.4 3.158 -5.25 71 0.142 -0.0270
1250 2.5 3.389 -4.95 73 0.148 -0.0299
1300 2.6 3.421 -4.68 79 0.158 -0.0338
1350 2.7 3.553 -4.44 82 0.164 -0.0369
1400 2.8 3.684 -4.23 88 0.176 -0.0416
1450 2.9 3.816 -4.03 91 0.182 -0.0452
1500 3.0 3.947 -3.85 97 0.194 -0.0504
1550 3.1 4.079 -3.68 100 0.200 -0.0543
1600 3.2 4.211 -3.53 106 0.212 -0.0601
1650 3.3 4.342 -3.39 108 0.216 -0.0637
1700 3.4 4.474 -3.26 162 0.324 -0.0994
1750 3.5 4.605 -3.15 162 0.324 -0.1029
1800 3.6 4.737 -3.03 162 0.324 -0.1069
 Unconfined Compression Test 7

Sample Elapsed Strain Axial Corrected Proving Axial Compressive

number time ‘t’ dial strain (ԑ) area Ac = ring load P stress
(minutes) reading L/L0 (A0 /1-ԑ) readings (kg) σ = P/Ac
(∆L) ×100 (cm2 ) (div.) (kg/cm2 )
(mm) (%)
2 50 0.1 0.133 13.08 2 0.004 0.0003
100 0.2 0.267 15.47 8 0.016 0.0010
150 0.3 0.400 18.90 14 0.028 0.0015
200 0.4 0.533 24.28 20 0.040 0.0016
250 0.5 0.667 34.05 26 0.052 0.0016
300 0.6 0.800 56.70 32 0.064 0.0011
350 0.7 0.933 169.25 38 0.076 0.0004
400 0.8 1.067 -169.25 44 0.088 -0.0005
450 0.9 1.200 -56.70 50 0.100 -0.0018
500 1.0 1.333 -34.05 58 0.116 -0.0034
550 1.1 1.467 -24.28 64 0.130 -0.0054
600 1.2 1.600 -18.90 71 0.142 -0.0075
650 1.3 1.733 -15.47 77 0.154 -0.0100
700 1.4 1.867 -13.08 79 0.158 -0.0121
750 1.5 2.000 -11.34 82 0.164 -0.0145
800 1.6 2.133 -10.01 90 0.180 -0.0180
850 1.7 2.267 -8.95 97 0.194 -0.0217
900 1.8 2.400 -8.10 104 0.208 -0.0257
950 1.9 2.533 -7.40 109 0.218 -0.0295
1000 2.0 2.667 -6.80 115 0.230 -0.0338
1050 2.1 2.800 -6.30 121 0.242 -0.0384
1100 2.2 2.933 -5.87 127 0.254 -0.0433
1150 2.3 3.067 -5.49 131 0.262 -0.0477
1200 2.4 3.200 -5.15 135 0.270 -0.0524
1250 2.5 3.333 -4.86 138 0.276 -0.0568
1300 2.6 3.467 -4.60 144 0.288 -0.0626
1350 2.7 3.600 -4.36 147 0.294 -0.0674
1400 2.8 3.733 -4.15 149 0.298 -0.0718
1450 2.9 3.867 -3.96 153 0.306 -0.0773
1500 3.0 4.000 -3.78 156 0.312 -0.0825
1550 3.1 4.133 -3.62 157 0.314 -0.0867
1600 3.2 4.267 -3.47 157 0.314 -0.0905
1650 3.3 4.400 -3.34 157 0.314 -0.0940
 Compression Stress (kg/cm²) Compression Stress (kg/cm²)

-0.08
-0.06
-0.04
-0.02

-0.1
0
0.02
-0.12
-0.08
-0.06
-0.04
-0.02
0

-0.1
0.133 0.132 0.02
0.4 0.395

0.667 0.658

0.933 0.921
1.184
1.2
1.447
1.467
1.711
1.733
1.974
2
2.237
2.267 2.5
2.533 2.763

Axial strain (ɛ)

Axial Strain (ɛ)

2.8 3.026
3.067 3.389

3.333 3.553
Compression Stress vs Axial Strain

3.816

Compression Stress Vs Axial Strain

3.6
4.079
3.867
4.342
4.133
4.605
4.4
Unconfined Compression Test
8
 Unconfined Compression Test 9

9.0 DISCUSSION

Soil specimen 1 and 2 has nearly performs almost the same behaviour for the
Unconfined Compression Tests. This might be caused by the compaction during the
preparing of the specimen. Besides of that, the soil specimen might contain some
portion of dry clayed soil. Clayed soil is hard and strong in dry condition but
oppositely in wet condition.

According to the result, there have some error occurred in the experiment. This might
be caused by human and parallex error. For example, the specimen was not well
compacted and there had some air void in the specimen due to inappropriate method
of compaction. The existence of air void will make failure of specimen under loading.
Beside that this test is run manually then the reading we get is from us is not accurate
at all if compare to the data calculated from the computer. Furthermore, we have to
make sure the rubber membrane is tighten the sample so that the water will not
infiltrate into the specimen.
 Unconfined Compression Test 10

10.0 CONCLUSION

SPECIMEN NO.1 :

Unconfined compressive strength of soil = qu = -0.1096 kg/cm²

Shear strength of soil, C = qu /2= -0.0548 kg/cm²

SPECIMEN NO.2 :

Unconfined compressive strength of soil = qu = -0.0940 kg/cm²

Shear strength of soil, C = qu /2= -0.047 kg/cm²

.·. qu average = (-0.0548 kg/cm²) + (-0. 047 kg/cm²)

2
= -0.0509 kg/cm²
 Unconfined Compression Test 11

REFERENCE

 Das, B. (2008) Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering Fourth Edition.

Canada: Cengage Learning.

 http://www.cyut.edu.tw/~jrlai/CE7334/Unconfined.pdf
(28 November 2012)

 http://civilengineeringlaboratory.blogspot.com/2012/02/unconfined-compression-
test.html
(28 November 2012)

 http://enterprise.astm.org/filtrexx40.cgi?+REDLINE_PAGES/D2166.htm
(28 November 2012)

 http://www.civil.umaine.edu/cie366/unconfined_compression/default.htm
 (28 November 2012)
 Unconfined Compression Test 12

APPENDIX

Pictures taken during experiment were carried out.

Unconfined Compression Test 13